Tom was born on July 23, 1934 in Detroit Michigan, USA.His full name at birth was Stevens Thompson Tjaarda Van Starkenberg.He graduated the University of Michigan in 1958 with a degree in Architecture.

I had the ultimate pleasure of meeting Tom at my very first Concorso Italiano show in Monterey in 2016. He was a so fun to chat with and I had a wonderful time chauffeuring him around in a golf cart. An interesting story, he was due to speak at our Pantera paddock area, but was on the other end of the golf course venue. I knew it would take a while for him to reach us, so I decided to highjack a golf cart and pick him up and save him the long walk. When I stopped in front of him and asked him to "Hop in" for his ride, he said , "gladly". I was probably gushing about how my Pantera was my dream car since I was 15 years old and he sat there unfazed and graciously accepted the compliment matter-of-factly. No fake modesty or bravado, just a polite "thank you". We will all miss Tom dearly...he was a gentleman, a designer and real human being.

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Rest in Peace.Amazing to think how many of our lives would maybe have been different if Tom hadn't made the Pantera beautiful. I wouldn't have owned one, and therefore not a Longchamp and not known people around the world like now.

markcharltonOld enough to know better and still young enough not to care. My '71 Pantera

6/5/175:19 AM

quote:

Originally posted by No Quarter:Rest in Peace.Amazing to think how many of our lives would maybe have been different if Tom hadn't made the Pantera beautiful. I wouldn't have owned one, and therefore not a Longchamp and not known people around the world like now.

Beautifully stated Mikael. Beyond a beautiful car (many actually), Tom was part of creating something even bigger and more important — a great community. I'm glad that he was able to be a part of it long after the design work was done. Rest in peace Tom.

Tom's last stateside visit was Monterey Week in 2016. PCNC arranged to chaufeur Tom during that week.

I had the honor and privilege to provide his ride to Pebble Beach on Sunday. This photo is Tom at Pebble Beach on a bench in front of the Lodge, about 6:30 am before the Judges Breakfast, August 21, 2016.

The first photo I posted was taken later that day, just before Tom, my friend Gary and I enjoyed a fish-n-chips dinner at the Monterey harbor. Tom said he enjoyed good fish-n-chips, and luckily the small restaurant we chose delivered precisely that.

After dinner, I took him to his Seaside motel, walked him up the stairs to his second story room, and saw him safely into his room.

As I drove away, I wondered if I would be lucky enough to see him again......

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